


goodbye, hell's kitchen.

by damnmysterytome



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6673192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnmysterytome/pseuds/damnmysterytome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr Prompt: karen is moving, frank is helping her pack, angst because he knows he has to stay in hell's kitchen, and she'd give anything for him to come with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	goodbye, hell's kitchen.

She’s had enough of being shot at. She’s had enough of being kidnapped. She’s had enough of being a target.

Karen Page has simply had enough.

Ellison helped her get a job at a sister paper to the Bulletin in Connecticut in a small town perfect for Karen. She hadn’t spoken to Matt since he told her he was Daredevil, had barely spoken to Foggy since he got his new job – it wasn’t his fault, he was just constantly busy. It wasn’t hard for her to make the decision to leave.

Not even when it came to Frank.

Karen didn’t know how she felt about Frank, but she did like coming home to seeing him in her kitchen. She was useless in the kitchen unless it was to warm take out in the microwave. Frank liked to make sure Karen was eating. He knew she’d forgot when she was hunting. He was the same way. She was going to miss walking in her apartment to see The Punisher in her kitchen.

He really didn’t want her to go, but he stayed in the apartment while she packed, putting together boxes and writing labels on them. He was the only one who knew she was leaving, the least he could do was help her pack.

“That the last of it?” Frank asked, running his hands over the stubble that had grown on his face. He hated having facial hair, but he hadn’t had much time to shave it off.

She nodded, closing the last box up. Besides her furniture, everything is packed up. “Yup.” She said after a few moments of being silent. He watched as she lifted her hand up to her face as she tried to hide the fact that she was crying. Karen wiped her face off and sniffled.

Frank opened his mouth to tell her she didn’t have to go. To stay. But he knew all the reasons that she was leaving. He had told her that if she needed to go, she needed to go.

She needed to go.

“I got it.” Frank said as Karen tried to pick up the last box. He hadn’t let her carry any of the boxes down to the truck, despite that handing the boxes to the guy driving the moving truck risks exposing who he is.

Frank returned a few minutes later empty handed, watching as Karen stood in the kitchen and looked around the apartment.

“I’ve lived here since I moved to Hell’s Kitchen.” She said, looking at the bullet holes that Frank had patched up when she decided to move. Before that, she’d left them. “It’s feel weird to be… Someone else is going to live here.” Karen said, looking down at the floor.

He stayed silent, watching her stare at the floor. There’s so much that Frank wished he could say to her. There’s so much that Karen would love to say to him.

“You should get going.” Frank said, his throat tightening  _just_ a tid. It wasn’t noticeable, he hoped.

Karen looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. “I know.” She said, looking around the apartment again.

Frank took a step over to Karen and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tugging her body against his. It’s the first time they’ve hugged, and of course it’s probably the last time they’ll see each other unless Karen decided to come back. Chances are, she won’t. Chances are, Frank won’t come visit.

She buried her head in his chest and took a deep, remembering how Frank smelled. Gunpowder and coffee. She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute and clung to Frank until he pulled away from her, peeling his arms off his back.

“Let me know when you get in.” He mumbled.

Karen didn’t know how he expected her to do that, but she always found a way to let him know she was alright. She bit on the inside of her cheek and nodded. “Goodbye, Frank.” She said, picking up her bag off the floor and walking towards her door.

He cleared his throat and spoke once the door was open and Karen was standing outside of the door. “Goodbye, Karen.” It’s the first time he’d ever said her name.

Karen looked up at him and pursed his lips, resting her eyes on his for a few minutes. She covered her mouth to prevent the tears from spilling out. It took every bit of Frank’s self control to not walk over to her and wipe her face off and comfort her.  

He’d give anything for her to be able to stay – but his place is here.

She’d give anything for him to come with her, but she knows that he’ll never be able to leave Hell’s Kitchen.

She understood.

It still broke her heart to shut the door behind her and leave Frank standing in her apartment.

 


End file.
